*REMINDER* – COE: UPDATE to COVID-19 Alert 4: Requirements for Reporting Student Achievement Data (June 1, 2020)
*REMINDER*
(August 20, 2021)
As noted in the prior announcement below (see June 16, 2020 – “Important Reminder” section), Commission required benchmarks for Completion, Placement and Licensure will apply to all programs reported in the 2021 Annual Report.
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June 16, 2020
Accommodations for Compliance with Student Achievement Data Benchmark
The Commission has been concerned about institutions’ ability to comply with student achievement benchmarks due to the shutdowns required during the COVID-19 outbreak and the recovery period as well as great variation in state mandates for re-opening because of the pandemic. Many institutions have experienced serious limitations in their ability to offer instruction for the completion of programs and to students’ opportunities for employment upon completion of their programs. There are also serious challenges and concerns about the scheduling of licensure examinations for certain occupations.
During its June 4, 2020 meeting, the Commission considered Council staff recommendations for accommodations regarding institutional compliance with completion, placement, and licensure exam benchmarks.
After their review and discussion of the matter, the Commission acted to suspend the requirement for compliance with student achievement benchmarks for the 2020 reporting period.
In practice, this means there will be no minimum required outcome percentage for completion, placement, or licensure for any program in any report for the 2020 calendar year. (The minimum benchmarks for student achievement are: 60% Completion Rate, 70% Placement Rate, and 70% Licensure Exam Pass Rate for all programs.)
Institutions with programs that were triggered for failure to meet one or more of the benchmarks in the 2019 Annual Report will still be required to submit an interim status report as required by Commission action and detailed in letters sent to those institutions in March of this year. However, no further violation status will be imposed by the Commission on institutions with triggered programs even if interim status reports indicate no improvement or a decline in program outcomes.
The 2020 Annual Report will be distributed in late summer/early fall and will be due for submission by early December, as usual. While reporting student achievement data will still be required, the student achievement benchmarks will not be applied to any program.
However, please be advised that while compliance with benchmarks has been suspended for this year, the Council is still very interested in fully understanding the full impact the COVID-19 shutdown has had on its membership and students using data from interim reports and the 2020 Annual Report. Therefore, the Council will continue to require the collection and reporting of student achievement data. Additionally, requirements concerning the accuracy of data and the ability for the Council to verify reported data are still in effect.
Additional instructions for reporting data will be included with instructions that accompany forms for reporting interim student achievement data and the 2020 Annual Report as needed. These issues will also be discussed during workshops hosted by the Council for reporting student achievement data.
Questions pertaining to student achievement data must be submitted to the Council via email to the following staff: Joe Molmer, Associate Executive Director – Operations Division ([email protected]) and Kay Smarr, Senior Data Analyst – Operations Division ([email protected]). Please be sure to include both staff members in your email.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: This accommodation applies only to the 2020 calendar year deadlines for reporting student achievement data. Student achievement benchmarks will be reinstated in the 2021 calendar year.
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June 1, 2020
Many institutions have expressed concerns regarding the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on program performance and completion, placement, and licensure exam pass rates.
The Commission is aware of this issue and will be discussing it at their upcoming meeting. Any decisions the Commission makes regarding student achievement benchmarks will be distributed to the membership and posted on the Council web site as soon as the information is available.
Until that time, please be advised that reporting accurate data continues to be a requirement even though program performance has suffered, and will continue to suffer, as a result of the pandemic.
Rest assured that the Commission understands the serious limitations the pandemic has placed on its members in this regard and will respond with reasonable accommodations to deal with its impact on student achievement.